Davis City Council Adopts Resolution in Support of Sutter Health’s Regional Effort to End Homelessness

March 15, 2017

Under a resolution adopted yesterday by City Council, the City of Davis committed its support to Sutter Health’s Getting to Zero campaign, a regional effort to end chronic homelessness by aligning programs and resources around a more effective low-or-no barrier approach to housing individuals experiencing homelessness. Working with public and private partners in Placer, Sacramento and Yolo Counties, Sutter Health will match up to $5 million in contributions and raise $20 million over three years to support this effort. In December, the city received a $233,000 matching grant through Getting to Zero to support its Davis Pathways program.

“Getting to Zero has provided the City of Davis with the additional resources we need to create permanent and stable housing for our homeless population,” said Mayor Robb Davis. “By bringing public and private partners to the table, Sutter Health has created region-wide collaboration that will allow us to identify creative solutions to effectively end homelessness.”

Getting to Zero embraces a low-or-no barrier model of care that provides the chronically homeless with Housing First, and then quickly offers the support services they need to achieve and maintain stability. The effort’s ultimate goal is to reach Functional Zero – when the number of homeless people is equal to, or less than, the amount of permanent housing available to place them – in all three counties.

The Davis City Council vote is consistent with recent actions taken by nearby jurisdictions. The Yolo County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution in support of Getting to Zero in February 2017, and the City of Woodland is considering adopting a similar resolution soon. In September 2015, Woodland City Council passed a resolution in favor of a Housing First approach to addressing homelessness.

“The City is pleased to collaborate with Sutter Health to expand its DavisPathways program for individuals who are homeless. With the Sutter Getting to Zero matching funds, we are now able to provide bridge rental assistance, initiate a jobs training program for those able to get back to work, and expand case management services. These new components build upon New Pathways, a low-barrier bridge housing program, jointly funded by the City and County last spring, said Davis.

Sutter Health has long been committed to investing in programs that improve the health of the communities it serves. In addition to Getting to Zero, the organization funds community-based services, mobile clinics, transportation services, prevention and wellness programs and more. In 2015, Sutter Health’s network of physician organizations, hospitals and other health care providers made a total community benefit investment of $957 million.

“As a business leader and health care provider, we at Sutter Health understand that homelessness touches every individual in this community,” said James Conforti, President of Sutter Health Valley Area. “Through the Getting to Zero campaign, we hope to bring together partners who can commit the resources to fund programs that will make a meaningful impact in ending homelessness.”

Since September 2016, Sutter Health has funded four matching grants to support low-or-no barrier responses to homelessness in the City of Davis ($233,000), City of Roseville ($250,000), City of Sacramento ($433,000), and Placer County ($1 million).